The Epic Split
Volvo Trucks2013
The Epic Split is a 2013 online film (Live Test series) for Volvo Trucks, created by Forsman & Bodenfors, Gothenburg.
The line
This test was set up to demonstrate the precision of Volvo Dynamic Steering.
Why it works
A B2B truck feature — dynamic steering — demonstrated by Jean-Claude Van Damme doing the splits between two reversing trucks at golden hour, in one unbroken shot. Released in November 2013 as part of Forsman & Bodenfors' "Live Test" series, it became the most watched automotive ad ever on YouTube (73+ million views by mid-2014), was the world's most shared video the day after launch, and generated an estimated €126 million in earned media for a company that sells trucks to fleet buyers. It won both the Film and Cyber Grand Prix at Cannes 2014 and swept the One Show. It is studied for stunt-as-proof engineering — the spectacle is the spec sheet — and for showing that 'boring' industrial brands can own internet culture.
Techniques
- Demonstration Two reversing trucks hold a steady line while a man does the splits between them in one unbroken shot, proving the steering's precision.
- Testimonial and endorsement Jean-Claude Van Damme stakes his body on the trucks' steering, putting a recognisable face on a technical feature sold to fleet buyers.
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